24 posts categorized "CIEE Alumni Local Chapters"

After the cherry blossom viewing event in March, alumni in the D.C. area were excited to reunite in May at TONIC to catch up and discuss ideas for the upcoming year over brunch and cups of coffee. The meeting brought in alumni from CIEE Study Abroad and CIEE Teach Abroad programs, ranging from the 1980's to the past few years. During the meeting, everyone introduced themselves and shared an idea for the CIEE Alumni Washington D.C. Chapter. Ideas ranged from cultural exchange to cooking classes to volunteering to helping new immigrants settle in the D.C. area. As it was also the day of the European Union Open House, a small group went to check out the E.U. office in D.C., where they celebrated the 60th anniversary of the E.U. by learning more about the history and picking up "E.U. pride" accessories. They were even featured on the European Union in the United States Facebook page!

April is known as cherry blossom season in Japan, but CIEE alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area got to experience the special season for themselves at a recent alumni event. On April 15, members of the CIEE Alumni San Francisco Bay Area Chapter volunteered together at the 50th Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, one of California's most prominent celebrations of Asian traditions with over 200,000 attendees. Alumni supported the event by managing the back stage gate of one of the performance stages, where they could see artists and performers from all over Japan prepare and perform their acts. Afterwards, they enjoyed coffee and lunch to celebrate a great day of volunteering together. It was the perfect way to give back to the community and celebrate Japanese and Japanese-American culture in San Francisco's Japantown!

CIEE Alumni Russia Chapter president Dasha describes the most recent chapter event held in Moscow, Russia in partnership with the CIEE study center in Moscow:

"On April 21, a group of CIEE Study Abroad students from the U.S. met up with CIEE alumni (mostly CIEE Work & Travel USA alumni) in Moscow for a fun game of pub quiz at the Razvedka bar! It was a perfect evening where we got together and talked, shared tasty food, and shared ideas about our future. It's amazing how travel to the U.S. united us and, despite the fact that some time has passed, we still have a lot to discuss. I hope that our CIEE family in Russia will grow and more people will participate in our gatherings!"

"The CIEE Alumni New York City Chapter met up in March for a casual happy hour at the Crocodile Lounge to enjoy an evening of networking and Bingo. The alumni came from a variety of career backgrounds - non-profit, fashion, education, finance - and some were students as well. It was a great turnout for our first event of the new year as the chapter also discussed what they would like to see in upcoming events and how to make the chapter thrive.

As per usual, the group had very different experiences with CIEE; some were teachers, some studied abroad, and others were part of a work exchange program.

Hope to see you at the next chapter event! If you want to get involved and have any ideas for upcoming events, feel free to email us." - Ibby Hussain, chapter vice president

The CIEE Alumni Chicago Chapter had a fun and exciting gathering at Emilio's Tapas Sol y Nieve last week to plan upcoming chapter events. Chapter president Lauren Swanson reports, "With 9 attendees total, mostly newcomers, we were able to meet new faces and make the world a little smaller. Conversation flowed from our study abroad experiences into our international travels since graduation. It was a great opportunity to spread the word about our chapter's events and discuss cultural/professional events going forward in our community. Happy to kick off 2017 CIEE Alumni events in Chicago, and we look forward to the next event!"

CIEE alumni in the Washington, D.C. area met on March 19 at Daikaya Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant serving small plate comfort food, to kick off the annual cherry blossom season. Some even journeyed from Maryland and Virginia to network with fellow CIEE alumni and to explore Japanese cuisine in celebration of the season. The cuisine included plates such as abura onigiri, mentaiko donburi, and gyutan (beef tongue). While some were trying new foods, a handful of alumni who studied abroad in Japan were taken back in time with the familiar tastes and traditional dishes presented with a culinary twist. There were also a number of alumni who were attending a chapter event for the first time and expressed excitement for the events to come. After lunch, the group headed out to visit the cherry blossoms and enjoyed a jazz concert by the Tidal Basin, an event which was organized by the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

On February 9, the CIEE Alumni Washington, D.C. Chapter and CIEE J-1 Professional Exchange Programs co-hosted a happy hour on Capitol Hill to bring together alumni of all CIEE programs and current participants of the CIEE Internship USA and Professional Career Training USA programs for a night of networking. Over 40 alumni and interns, including many participants of the Australian Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme (UCWIP), gathered at Capitol Lounge to exchange stories of their travels and talk about international politics. Some CIEE alumni were able to identify and speak to Australian interns who were working at their home state's congressional representative's office on Capitol Hill - a unique opportunity to hear different perspectives on local politics. Here's what some of our attendees had to say about the event:

"It was really interesting to meet the J-1 Interns and hear their perspectives on the government offices where they work. As outsiders to our political system, they talked about their internship locations in a more objective way than Americans who work on the Hill, without all of the usual partisanship and personal feeling that comes from having a personal stake in the process. I’m sure they’ll go back to their home countries with a more nuanced understanding of U.S. politics than what makes it into the news. " - Jackson Morawski, chapter member (CIEE Study Abroad Tokyo, Japan, 2014)

"Over drinks and Capitol Lounge’s famous wings, we shared our experiences of working and traveling outside our home countries. It was a great chance to meet fellow internationally-minded young people, share travel stories, and hear about their experiences in Washington, D.C. during this politically interesting period in the United States. As with many CIEE events, never a dull moment in a room full of well-traveled, energetic, and curious people. Hopefully the first of many shared events with UCWIP." - Mariah Deters, CIEE Alumni Washington, D.C. Chapter President (CIEE Study Abroad, Beijing, China, 2012)

CIEE alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area met at the Barbarossa Lounge in the Financial District of San Francisco for a holiday happy hour. In the spirit of holiday giving, the alumni group also turned the event into a toy drive, partnering with the San Francisco Fire Fighter Toy Program. They are looking forward to getting together again in the new year. Join the CIEE Alumni San Francisco Bay Area Chapter on Facebook to stay informed about upcoming events!

On December 4, CIEE alumni and their guests joined together for a holiday potluck party hosted by CIEE Study Abroad alumna Amber Demery. The potluck featured festive drinks, holiday desserts, and an array of finger foods. Alumni spent time getting to know each other over pool, foosball, and other games while also planning upcoming CIEE chapter events.

"Keeping in touch is hard in D.C. so having this alumni group where we can all get together, have fun, and network is great! This holiday party was the perfect way to do that and celebrate the new year. All the games provided by the venue and the general atmosphere just made it feel like catching up with old friends." -Amber

On Saturday, November 26, right after the official Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated in the U.S., the CIEE Alumni Russia Chapter gathered at CheckPoint Café for their own celebration in wintry Moscow. The chapter's president describes the event:

"I was so excited to meet all these amazing people! We shared food and stories about our CIEE Work & Travel USA experiences. Some people have just returned from their summer in the United States and are already planning their next travels, and others told us about their year abroad with the FLEX program. We had some pizzas and red velvet cupcakes made according to the American recipe. Alumni decided that they will gather again soon; the next meeting will most likely be scheduled in January. The very first chapter event turned out to be such an interesting bonding, so I can’t wait to see everyone again!"